Macaroth first distinguished himself as a young Imperial Guard commander at the end of the first decade of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade during the assault on the Chaos-held world of Balhaut in 765.M41. During the assault, intense levels of combat occurred at the city of Balopolis, where Imperial Guard forces found themselves in a fierce fire fight with Magister Sholen Skara's Kith forces. Within a span of 58 hours, three successive Imperial commanders were either severely wounded or killed. Hearing of the plight faced by the Guard at Balopolis, the Warmaster sent an immediate despatch to promote Macaroth to the brevet rank of Marshal, in order that a commander so young could garner the necessary respect from the men under his command at that Emperor-forsaken hour.